Date:
Location:
June 24th -Implications of COVID-19 on Food and Nutrition Security
In this webinar, we will explore the question of food security through several lenses: (i)
food production and markets disruption as a result of COVID-19; (ii) the weakening of health
systems, where essential nutrition services are provided; and (iii) East Africa’s locust invasion
and its consequences on affected communities.
As we already know, the global pandemic of COVID-19 threatens to further exacerbate
existing differences in healthcare outcomes and economic disparities between the global north
and global south. The World Food Progamme has warned that 265 million people could face
acute food security by the end of 2020, nearly double the number from 2019. Countries like the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, the Sudan, and Nigeria are among
the top ten countries worldwide facing food insecurity, with 61 percent of South Sudan’s
population in a state of food crisis. COVID-19 has disrupted economic activity and supply
chains worldwide, and that economic impact now threatens food security across the continent.
The pandemic has also severely affected essential nutritional services provided through the
health system, particularly for women and children. The worst locust outbreak in decades that
has affected East Africa in particular has further escalated these food and nutrition challenges.
Confirmed Speakers:
- Dr. Victor Aguayo, Director of Nutrition, UNICEF
- Dr. Anna Lartey, Director for Nutrition, Food and Agriculture Organization
- Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, Deputy Director, Africa CDC
- H.E. Dr. Mandefro Nigussie, State Minister for Agricultural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- Moderated by Professor Robert Paarlberg, Adjunct Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Register for the webinar here:
https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qXCtqZq8SuGEeaAky9drEw
This webinar will be livestreamed on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HarvardAfricanStudies/live/
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The Harvard University Center for African Studies in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is hosting a series of webinars on the topic of COVID-19 and Africa. Held each Wednesday for one hour from 10am EST, CAS’ Africa and COVID-19 Webinar Series will bring together the private sector, policy makers, academics, and practitioners for a series of conversations across health, technology, and economy, among others. Please check our COVID-19 Resources page for upcoming webinars and recordings of previous webinars. Join our weekly newsletter to receive updated information.
7:00AM PDT (California)
10:00AM EDT (Boston/New York)
3:00PM WAT (Nigeria/UK)
4:00PM CAT (South Africa)
5:00PM EAT (Ethiopia/Kenya)
ORGANIZERS: Harvard Center for African Studies & Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention